Ammunition shortage

[KySongDog]

Every one knows ammo is hard to come by and expensive to boot.   Maybe this has something to do with it.


1.6 Billion Rounds Of Ammo For Homeland Security? It's Time For A National Conversation

"The Denver Post, on February 15th, ran an Associated Press article entitled Homeland Security aims to buy 1.6b rounds of ammo, so far to little notice.  It confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security has issued an open purchase order for 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition.  As reported elsewhere, some of this purchase order is for hollow-point rounds, forbidden by international law for use in war, along with a frightening amount specialized for snipers. Also reported elsewhere, at the height of the Iraq War the Army was expending less than 6 million rounds a month.  Therefore 1.6 billion rounds would be enough to sustain a hot war for 20+ years.  In America."

Full article here:    1.6 Billion Rounds Of Ammo For Homeland Security? It's Time For A National Conversation

The DHS is also buying MWRAP combat vehicles and 7,000 full auto "personal defense weapons".   While we, the citizens, are limited to semi auto "assault rifles" which they are trying to ban.   I am not a conspiracy theorist but WTF???

[Hawks Feather]

Having most of the ammunition being made go to the government does sound like a pretty good way to keep it out of the hands of non-government agencies.  The tank picture in the link made me think of the tanks in Communist China and we know how that played out for the protestors.

Jerry

[FinsnFur]

at the height of the Iraq War the Army was expending less than 6 million rounds a month.  Therefore 1.6 billion rounds would be enough to sustain a hot war for 20+ years.  In America.

But when ya check the "reported elsewhere" link, it takes you to a UK site that says government reprts show them that American troops were using 1.8 billion rounds per year.

[KySongDog]

So the Brits think we were firing 4,931,507 rounds per DAY in Iraq?    Right.   

Lets see, if we stuff them in 30 round mags, that makes 164,384 magazines fired per DAY.   That is a whole lot of magazine loading.  I bet there were some pretty sore thumbs.   That Brit report is full of crap.

[Carolina Coyote]

Article in American Rifleman. CC


Where Has All The Ammo Gone?
3/13/2013

In case you hadn’t noticed, we are in the midst of an ammunition, primer and propellant shortage. Stories are making both local and national news, and rumors abound on the Internet. I understand there have been large Federal contracts, but those cannot come close to explaining the increased demand for ammunition and components. There is more than a billionâ€"that’s billion with a “B”â€"rounds of .22 Long Rifle produced in this country every year. One estimate puts it at closer to a billion and a half. The DHS has not bought a billion and a half rounds of .22 LR, so it cannot be pinned on them. Also, it is unlikely to me that Janet Napolitano is trying to corner the world market on Hodgdon Varget, even though it is one of my favorite go-to powders.

I have some anecdotal evidence of what is going on here. A friend called me from the parking lot of a gun store in Southwest Virginia, “Mark, I just scored 5,000 rounds of Federal .22 Long Rifle!” I cut his euphoria short by saying, “Tim, you have never bought more than 500 rounds of anything before.” To which he replied, “Yeah, but I bought all they had.” I believe Tim’s “score” is being replicated all across the country every time the UPS truck arrives.

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In another instance, a colleague and her husband were traveling and stopped by a gunshop off the beaten track and managed to scoop up some .223 Rem. “The last five boxes we have,” the clerk told them. “It just came in.” Odds are my friend Tim had not passed through there yet. They were delighted, and for good reason. You can buy all the .257 Roberts you want, but .223 Rem. is difficult to find. Actually my somewhat cynical colleague speculated the store owner really had a shipping container of .223 out back, but was only selling five boxes at a time as sales tactic to increase store traffic. Perhaps.

There is a downstream effect of such purchasing behavior. When people are motivated by external political exigencies to purchase more ammunition than they customarily purchase, there is less ammunition for others. Friends of mine are hesitant to go to the range and shoot as they don’t know when they can replenish their ammunition supply. That goes for matches, too.

All the major ammunition companies have increased capacity and production over last year’s levels, which was a banner year. If the ammunition makers are producing more ammunition than ever beforeâ€"regardless of government contractsâ€"why is there no ammo on the shelf? Simply put, other people are buying it before you do. This is basic supply and demand. When demand is high and supply low, prices increase. And my friend Tim could not have bought it all.

Speculation has also played a role. Two of my editors are voracious readers of The Valley Trader, a convenience store newsprint classified for the Shenandoah Valley, where they both live. Usually The Valley Trader is full of great stuff, such as “FOR SALE: Men’s boots: $40.” It doesn’t say the size (which I regard as somewhat important) or what brand or style, but the good news is that they are only $40. My favorite of all time though is “TRADE: Will trade a lemur for a zero turn mower.” I haven’t priced lemurs recently (now that “Zaboomafoo” is off the air), but that does not seem like a trade I would want to make. Now sprinkled through its pages are ammo speculators. A definitive pattern is developing. Ammunition purchased opportunistically at larger retail outletsâ€"which have not raised their prices to the gouge levelâ€"is going for three to five times the retail price. Again, supply, demand and scarcity. When a product is scarce, you can charge more for it. And those that have the product, often do so. Whether it results in an ammunition equivalent of the South Sea Company Bubble of 1720, remains to be seen. It is my belief as the political agitation slows, shelves will slowly start filling again.

Which begs the questions: How much Winchester white box 230-grain, .45 ACP can I get for a lemur?

[KySongDog]

Supply and demand I can understand.

The article doesn't answer the question.  Why does the DHS need 1.6 billion rounds of ammo a third of which is hollow point?

[yotefever]

Two things really bother me with some people in this situation.
Those that are buying up thousands of rounds and will never shoot them making it difficult for competitors to get ammo that they WILL SHOOT at matches and those buying up all stock as it comes into a store then turning around and selling it to idiots at skyrocketing prices.

[Carolina Coyote]

I think the Article is a opinion of the author not really based on facts but the situation is similar to the Primer shortage a couple of years ago that jacked the price of primers to almost double what they were previously as far as the Government buying all the ammo  you never gonna get a honest answer out of this lying Administration, I was just looking around yesterday for some Brass for 223 and not any of the reloading suppliers have any in stock and everyone of them had a notice on the home page that they were a week behind in shipping so sales are apparently real good right now, if all these people out there buying up this stuff had got out and voted we may not have this problem. cc   

[coyote101]

....... if all these people out there buying up this stuff had got out and voted we may not have this problem. cc   

Amen

Pat